Pokemon Go Fest returns to Chicago after last year's mess
Tickets to the festival celebrating the hit AR mobile game will cost $20 for a day pass. Free events are coming this summer to Germany and Japan.
Pokemon Go is reviving its festival in Chicago, after the confab was a mess last year, and spreading the concept to Europe and Asia this summer.
Pokemon Go Fest: A Walk in the Park will take place July 14 and 15 in Chicago's Lincoln Park, with single-day tickets on sale Friday for $20 on the event's website, according to an update on Pokemon Go's blog Monday. An open, ticketless European event called Safari Zone will happen June 30 to July 1 in Dortmund, Germany. Another Safari Zone fest is planned for later this summer in Yokosuka, Japan, followed by other live events in Asia.
Pokemon Go was a breakout hit two years ago, a mobile phenomenon from game maker Niantic that familiarized millions of consumers with the concept of augmented reality, a technology that overlays digital images on the real world.
But the first stab at a flashy live event last year in Chicago was a mess. After attendees couldn't access the app and long lines prevented them from attending key goings-on, the crowd booed Niantic CEO JohnHanke when he went on stage, chanting "We can't play."